People suffering from presbyopia, which makes people unable to read at the usual distance from the eyes and need to place the reading material at a distance further away, were initially prescribed bifocal glasses that could be used to correct two different kinds of problems with the eyes. These bifocal were difficult to manage, so scientists designed contact bifocals for people who wanted to avoid the hassles of bifocal glasses.
If you know of someone or you are having trouble with eye haziness even at arm’s length you probably have a condition known as presbyopia. Those with presbyopia will need to have bifocal correction, thus the demand for bifocal contact lenses for those who don’t want to wear glasses. A study showed that in 2014 the demand for bifocal contact lenses will be close to double what it is now.
Until recently, bifocal wearers had few options when choosing corrective eyeware. Glasses with bifocal lenses were the most common option. Luckily, no-line bifocal lenses were developed, and the glasses became somewhat more attractive. Some struggled with the “one contact lens” option, called monovision, but this seemed to result in a lot of squinting for the users and usually required a difficult adjustment period.
Soft and RGP contacts are the two main varieties available for patients suffering from presbyopia. As with the regular wear lenses, they can be disposable or made for long-term usage. The disposable kind is the most popular since the user has the option of using a new pair every day.
Bifocal contact lenses like regular contact lenses are tinted so they are easy to find. The special lines on the contact will help you figure out how to put the contact in your eye. Bifocal contact lenses should only be worn by those who need them, like bifocal glasses. If you haven’t reached the age where you would need bifocal contact lenses and your vision is still blurry you might need a new prescription or a correction for an eye problem like an astigmatism.
The third type of bifocal lens is the translating lens. Like bifocal glasses, the near correction is near the bottom of the lens and the distance correction is above. Since these lenses can’t shift in the eye, they are usually made so that they can’t move easily. Ask your optometrist which type of lens he’d recommend for you. Since each will take require an adjustment period, be patient. You may want to research brands and types of lenses before going to your optometrist to decide if you want extended wear, daily disposable lenses or conventional contact lenses.
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